Mr. Dennehy's Has Something For Everyone
Many years ago, on a nice October afternoon, I stopped into what was then a brand new bar at 63 Carmine Street, just before Varick St/7th Avenue. www.mrdennehys.comÂ
 The friendly yet slightly stoic Irish owner, Donnell, greeted me at the door. There were not many people in yet, but it was early; 4pm on a Monday. I went up to the bar, ordered a pint of Guinness, and just took my chance to soak up the setting while it was still relatively unknown.
The bar was a red wood, clean but warm - not sterile and flashy. There were many dining chairs in the back, a few good Irish and English beers on tap, but not a huge variety. Still, something told me that this place was going to make it big. Maybe it was the bartender Liam, imported from Dublin; a subtle joker and easy conversationalist. Maybe it was the simple decor, refreshingly devoid of the effort to create a special image for itself. Maybe, even probably, it was the fact that there was no bar quite like this one in the area for many blocks around. Many of the Irish bars of NYC have been the property of the East Side.
Likely, all of these things have to do with the great success of Mr. Dennehy's as a place to eat, drink and shoot the breeze. The light atmosphere evades classification as anything other than a nice place to get a drink, and some great grub as well. It's clean enough for the professionals to come after work, has the Village locale and earthy immigrant staff that brings in the students, hipsters and artists, and women can come in on the busiest nights without the need to guard against dudes on the prowl. The relaxing quality of the place does tend to bring in regulars, occasionally giving the place something of a CHEERS vibe, but not as hokey (then again, you just can't MAKE that kind of hokey up anywhere, can you?).
Typically un-Irish in tradition, Mr. Dennhey's has food good enough to haul regulars with little interest in more than the one drink that washes a meal down. There is frequent experimentation in the menu, along with regular offerings, and have included a great Shepherd's Pie, Ricotta dumplings, tomato bisque, the usual pub fare like Nachos, and the not so regular fare such as New Zealand Rack of Lamb and Chilean Sea Bass. There are few disappointments.
Perhaps in inspiration of their regular crowd. Mr. Dennehy's makes itself a part of the community in many ways. Most recently there was a fundraiser in honor of a local bartender who was killed by gunfire ( fear not visitors, this IS a rare occurance for Manhattan - the Guiliani effect has lasting power). Generally though, there are soccer matches, parties and even road trips regularly organized.
I signed up once for a New York tour through Mr. Dennehy's. We went through Midtown and ended up at Water St. on the Brooklyn side, where we all had homemade ice cream and watched the Manhattan piers from across the East River. Mandy Moore and the Olson twins came along for the ride! Just a few weeks previously, Daniel Day Lewis had been sitting two seats from me, having some low-key discussion with a friend. Truly, a place that inspires so much relaxation deserves at least one visit. You never know who you'll see or what you might do while you're there.
